IHA News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Deborah A.Teschke
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
847-692-0110

IHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS WELCOMES FOUR NEW MEMBERSs

Peter Cameron Elected Chairman of the Board

ROSEMONT, ILL. (September 6, 2007)—Four new directors have been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association (IHA), the full-service trade association for the housewares industry.

      The new directors are Sheldon Goodman, president, Spectrum Diversified Designs, Inc.; Keith Jaffee, chief executive officer (CEO), Focus Products Groups LLC; Mary Ann Knaus, senior vice president, strategic development & global marketing, Jarden Consumer Solutions; and Gavin Lam, CEO & president, Lynns Concepts Inc. They were elected to three-year terms that begin on Oct. 1 and expire Sept. 30, 2010.

      In addition, newly elected board officers are:

      All officers serve one-year terms from Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30, 2008.

      Leaving the board are Jordan Glatt, president, Magla Products; Linda Graebner, LGA Inc.; Fred Howard, Fred Howard, Inc.; and Douglas Taeckens, president, Jokari/US, Inc. Re-elected to a second three-year term were Jeff Siegel and Robert Trudeau.

      Goodman has more than 28 years experience in the housewares industry. He founded Spectrum Diversified Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of storage and organization products, in 1985. Prior to that, he was vice president, finance/operations, for another housewares supplier from 1979-1984. Goodman is a member of IHA’s Chief Officers Reaching Excellence (CORE) executive networking groups and served on IHA’s Business Solutions Committee from 2005-07.

      Jaffee started Focus Products Group in 2001. The company owns several housewares companies, including Amco Housewares, Chicago Metallic, West Bend Housewares and Back to Basics Products, with the last two companies comprising the Focus Electrics Group. Prior to founding Focus Products, Jaffee served as president of the Store Fixture and Store Products Group at Leggett & Platt from 1997-2001. Before that, he served as president of Amco Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial storage systems and upscale housewares, from 1982-97.

      Knaus joined Jarden Consumer Solutions in 1998 as product manager for Mr. Coffee brand filters and accessories. Over the years she was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of new product development, marketing and general management of the Global Appliance business, where she was responsible for the Mr. Coffee, Sunbeam and Oster brands. In 2003, Knaus was promoted to her current position of senior vice president, strategic & global marketing. Prior to joining Jarden, Knaus held various marketing and new product development positions with housewares manufacturers including Anchor Hocking Plastics, then a division of Newell Rubbermaid, from 1997-98, and Mr. Coffee Inc. from 1992-94. From 1994-97 she served as product manager for County Line Limited/CPR Prompt, an entrepreneurial new product development company.

      Lam created Lynns Concepts Inc. in 1991. The company manufactures and markets ceramic dinnerware and stainless steel cookware. Before starting Lynns Concepts, Lam was executive vice president of C.C.A. International Inc., a supplier of ceramic dinnerware, from 1983-91 and served as marketing manager for Chinese Ceramic Arts I/E Co., Ltd. in Hong Kong from 1979-83. Lam also serves as chairman of several other companies: Tuxton China Inc., a marketer of vitrified chinaware for the food service industry, since 2000; Axa International Inc., a manufacturer of stainless steel cookware, since 1997; and Pinewave Development Group Inc., a real estate development company, since 1989.

      Cameron was named chief executive officer of Waterford Wedgwood in 2005. Before joining the leading manufacturer of luxury lifestyle goods, Cameron was with All-Clad Metalcrafters LLC from 1998-2004, where he was CEO from 2000-04 and COO from 1998-2000. He was appointed a Group Director in September 2001. During his time at All-Clad, Cameron also was vice chairman and owner of Acuity Management, Inc., an investment management company. Before joining All-Clad, Cameron was chairman/CEO of Hanson Housewares and president/CEO of Farberware, Inc., from 1988-95 and CEO/president of Revereware from 1986-88. He served as IHA’s Vice Chairman/Chairman Elect from 2006-07 and Treasurer from 2005-06.

      Siegel joined Lifetime Brands (formerly known as Lifetime Hoan) in 1967 after two years as trainee and then assistant buyer in the A&S Division of Federated Department Stores. The company designs and manufactures a variety of products for the home including bakeware, kitchen knives, kitchen tools and gadgets, bar accessories; barbecue accessories; cutting boards, spice racks, pantryware and architectural bath accessories. Its brands include Pfaltzgraff®, KitchenAid®, Farberware®, Cusinart®, Sabatier®, Calvin Klein® and Hoffritz®. Siegel began his tenure at the company as a regional sales manager and served in various other positions before being named president in 2000 and Chairman and CEO in 2002. He is a director of the Housewares Charity Foundation and has served on the Board since the Foundation’s inception in 1997. Siegel served as IHA Treasurer from 2006-07.

      Also serving on the IHA Board are Matthew L. Andis, president, Andis Company; Marty Armstrong, director, worldwide sales & trade marketing, KitchenAid Portable Appliance Division; Richard L. Boynton, Jr., senior vice president/general manager, Capresso, Inc.; Mark Eichhorn, president/CEO, Anchor Hocking Glass; James L. Glenn, president/CEO, Whitney Design, Inc. and Immediate Past IHA Chairman; Barry D. Harper, president/chief executive officer, Harper Brush Works, Inc.; Bruce Kaminstein, president, Casabella; Marc J. Navarre, president/CEO, All-Clad Metalcrafters LLC; Karl H. Pfitzenreiter, president/CEO, Zwilling J.A. Henckels; and William (Bill) P. Reibl, president/CEO, Progressive International Corp.

      Serving on the executive committee of the board are Peter Cameron, Jeff Siegel, Robert Trudeau, James Glenn and Bruce Kamenstein.

Editors: To download digital photos of the IHA Board of Directors, go to www.housewares.org/iha/boardphotos.asp